Search process

The search began in November 2014 when the presidential search committee was formed, and the campus community and university partners were asked for input into the search. In January 2015, the position profile was finalized and, in consultation with search firm Perrett Laver, we began to search for candidates. We were extremely pleased with the quality and quantity of candidates who applied. In March 2015, the search committee formed a long list of candidates and then narrowed it down to a short list in May 2015. Candidates on the short list were brought in for interviews in June, and the committee then recommended their candidate of choice to the Board of Governors. The board announced the new president on July 9, 2015, and Peter Stoicheff will begin his term on October 24, 2015.

The committee

The work of the search committee is essential to the process of selecting a new president

The committee includes representatives with academic, research, administrative and community perspectives. As chair of both the Board of Governors and the search committee, Greg Smith is joined by representation from the board, the University Senate, Deans’ Council, the General Academic Assembly, the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) and the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union (USSU).

When the search committee has identified a preferred candidate, it will make a recommendation to the Board of Governors for its consideration.

Search committee members

Greg Smith (chair of the committee)

Michael Atkinson (executive director of the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy and representative of the deans and executive directors)

Claire Card (professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences and GAA representative)

Pamela Downe (head of the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology and GAA representative)

David Dubé (member of the Board of Governors)

Blaine Favel (U of S chancellor and Senate representative)

Len Findlay (professor of English and GAA representative)

Max FineDay (president of the USSU in 2014/15, when the committee was formed)

Grant Isaac (member of the Board of Governors)

Lisa Kalynchuk (professor in the Department of Medicine and GAA representative)

Preston Smith (dean of the College of Medicine and representative of the deans and executive directors)

Izabela Vlahu (president of the GSA in 2014/15, when the committee was formed)

The search consultants

Perrett Laver is a senior level search firm specializing in education, science & research, global development & non-profits, and healthcare. The firm operates on a global basis with offices located in EMEA, the Americas and Asia Pacific and is exceptionally well-placed to support the University of Saskatchewan in the search for their next president.

Perrett Laver has one of the largest and leading higher education practices in the world, having advised on over 80 president and vice-chancellor searches and in the appointment of approximately 2,000 senior academics and non-academics.